Preview: Akron Zips at Massachusetts Minutewomen

HADLEY, Mass. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Wednesday afternoon when the struggling Akron Zips visit the surging Massachusetts Minutewomen in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball matchup at the Mullins Center.

The Minutewomen (11-3 overall) enter as one of the conference’s top teams, having won three of their last four, including a narrow 74-72 victory over Central Michigan last Saturday. They are anchored by dynamic guard Yahmani McKayle, who is coming off a near triple-double performance with 18 points, five rebounds and nine assists in that win. McKayle has been a consistent force, scoring in double figures in five of her last six games, including a 28-point outing at Kent State on Jan. 3.

Conversely, the Zips (3-13) are mired in a five-game losing streak, most recently a 79-56 home loss to Miami (Ohio). During this skid, Akron has lost by an average of 18.4 points. A bright spot has been the play of guard Keiryn McGuff, who led the Zips with 13 points and six rebounds in the loss to Miami. McGuff has shown scoring bursts this season, including a 20-point game in a win over Le Moyne last month, but Akron has struggled to find consistent support around her.

The matchup presents a clear challenge for Akron’s defense, which allows an average of 75.6 points per game. Containing McKayle and a balanced UMass attack that has held opponents to 40 points or fewer twice this season will be paramount. The Minutewomen’s only conference loss came on the road at Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 7.

For Akron, reversing its trajectory will require limiting turnovers and finding secondary scoring options behind McGuff. The Zips have shown offensive capability in non-conference wins, but have been held under 60 points in three of their five MAC losses.

Wednesday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. EST. Following this contest, Massachusetts will travel to Buffalo on Saturday, while Akron will prepare for a visit to Kent State.